This grid was created based on these principles, and I’ve reproduced it in classic Life Your Way style for you! Take some time to think about the things on your to-do list and classify them according to urgency and importance:

For example, taking the trash to the curb may be an urgent task because the trash man comes at a scheduled time, but it’s not ultimately an important task. It still needs to be done, of course, but you need to make sure that you’re not spending all of your time on urgent-but-not-important tasks while the truly important tasks are being left undone.

On the other hand, rocking a fussy baby could be classified as urgent and important. It’s time sensitive, and you’re also meeting the needs on your children.

But there’s a third category, the important-but-not-urgent tasks, that usually lay the foundation for future goals and accomplishments. These are the tasks that usually get pushed to the side, but — not to sound cliche — they’re often the most important. These include working toward personal and business goals as well as investing in relationships.

Classifying your tasks in this way will help you make decisions about how you’re spending your time and better prioritize the things on your to-do list.

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A few things you should know about me: I'm a wife and mother of 6, as well as a full-time work-at-home mom, a passionate entrepreneur, a homeschooler, and an INTJ, with a heavy emphasis on the introvert! And I'm pretty sure fair-trade chocolate, loose leaf tea, and Starbucks lattes are among life's greatest pleasures.